samantha in the media

3MDR Roundabout
Interview with Graham Beal

Yarra Ranges Council rejects plan to fine people who feed cockatoos on private land
by Emily Webb
Free Press Leader
29 May 2013

Track works get back to nature
by Russell Bennett
Mail Newspapers
28 May 2013

curbing cockie feeding

report from the roundtable – 26 feb

The issue of backyard feeding of sulphur crested cockatoos has long been a problem in the Dandenong Ranges. Residents living close by to backyard feeders often experience damage to their houses with cockatoos spending their time chewing verandahs, window frames, mortar, powerlines rather than being out in the wild foraging for food.

I was delighted to receive majority support from council for a motion I moved at this week’s council meeting. The motion seeks to publicly exhibit areas the shire wants to prohibit the backyard feeding of sulphur crested cockatoos and seek feedback from the community.

 

The local law will provide a legal framework for council to follow up on backyard feeders who continue to feed cockatoos to the detriment of their surrounding neighbours.

The shire will always use our  four step approach of educate, ask, tell enforce when enforcing the local law. Our first approach is always to educate people about the ramifications of feeding cockatoos.

Residents who are experiencing cockatoo damage reach levels of sheer desperation and create all manner of intricate bird scarers to attempt to keep the cockies away, however sulphur crested cockatoos are highly intelligent birds and generally manage to avoid these elaborate constructions and continue to chew.  The costs to repair the damage across the Dandenongs at last count was $0.5 million, the issue is a significant one for locals.

The reason cockies chew is to hone their beaks, generally this would happen whilst they are foraging for food in the wild, however when they are fed, there’s no need to forage but there’s still a need for them to hone their beaks, hence the chewing begins. 

Cr Witlox did not support the motion and said he’d asked his relatives if they thought it was a problem suggesting it was a nanny state law, he could not confirm to council if these people he’d asked lived next door to a cockatoo feeder answering "don't know".

Councillors in favour:

Cr’s Samantha Dunn, Noel Cliff, Cox, Fiona McAllister, Jason Callanan, Maria McCarthy and Jim Child

Councillors against:

Cr Andy Witlox

Councillors absent:

Cr Terry Avery

I’ll keep you posted with details of how to submit, it’s been quite a journey, but for those poor people who have endured years of cockatoo damage from backyard feeders, the legal framework is getting closer.

For a history of the cockie issue in the Dandenongs click here.

samantha in the press

Yarra Ranges Council wants to ban the feeding of cockatoos in the Dandenong Ranges in bid to stop property damage
by Emily Webb
Free Press Leader
27 Feb 2013

Yarra Ranges Council opposes moves by Puffing Billy operators to allow permit exemptions for new building work
by Emily Webb
Free Press Leader
27 Feb 2013

Eastern Transport Coalition blames an oversight for leaving two Monash level crossings out of budget submission
by Tim Michell
Waverley Leader
26 Feb 2013

VicForests happy to talk with Yarra Ranges Council about move to area after ethical paper pledge retraction
by Kimberley Seedy
Lilydale Leader
25 Feb 2013

Belgrave residents this week can have their say this week on plans for a multi-purpose community space
by Emily Webb
Free Press Leader
24 Feb 2013

samantha in the press - wildlife

New set up for the birds in Kallista Leader newspapers by Kimberley Seedy 13 Apr 2011

cockies, who's helping who?

report from the roundtable - 26 oct

I felt the need at this week's council meeting to respond to a letter sent to us by the Minister for Environment, Gavin Jennings about the cockatoo problems in the Dandenong Ranges.

Some of the damage caused by cockatoos in 2009. There is a direct link between feeding and this type of behaviour. Rather than foraging in the wild, cockatoos get an easy feed but still need to hone their beaks by chewing.
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The Minister wrote to council in response to a letter we'd sent regarding the ongoing issue of feeding cockatoos. The Minister made us aware of a flyer the Department of Sustainability and Environment has produced encouraging the public not to feed birds. The Minister went on to say "the material has been provided to the Shire of Yarra Ranges for distribution to interested ratepayers".

It was at this point I felt I needed to call the Minister to account. The Shire paid for the distribution of flyers to "interested ratepayers" and my ward fund paid for the printing of the flyers.

The Minister went on to say there are no plans to develop regulations that prohibit the feeding of wildlife in Victoria or Yarra Ranges even though the Wildlife Act 1975 provides the Head of Power to do so.

samantha in the press - cockatoo feeding

Ban is for the birds
Mail Newspapers
by Casey Neill
14 Sep 2010

council considers cockatoo curb

At this week’s council meeting I intend to move the following motion in response to a commitment I gave community members at a recent public meeting in Kallista about the ongoing problem with cockatoos.

Motion :
That a report be prepared for Council examining options for prohibiting or discouraging the feeding of cockatoos in the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Options to be investigated should include the following alternatives:

(a) the use of the existing Animal Control Law, which regulates the way in which feed may be stored;
(b) the use of the nuisance provisions of the Health Act to either regulate or prohibit feeding;
(c) the creation of a new local law, or the amendment of an existing Animal Control Local Law, to prohibit feeding altogether.

The report should be delivered to council by the last meeting of November, 2009. The report should address the legal and operational implications of each option and recommend the most effective mechanism for reducing the impact of cockatoos on Yarra Ranges communities.

Background/Supporting Information :
At a recent public meeting in Kallista the issue of feeding of cockatoos was raised, specifically regarding those residents who continue to feed cockatoos and by doing so cause damage to neighbouring properties.

It was recognised that education was a key focus to assist residents to understand that feeding cockatoos has the unintended consequence of damage to timber, mortar, power supply lines and various other fixtures on public and private property.

This view is supported by the DSE and can be referenced in their Living with Wildlife 1 factsheet “For example, cockatoos need to chew items to maintain their beaks at the correct length and condition. They generally achieve this by chewing bark and branches in their roost trees. When people give them food, they tend to hang around near where they are fed.

They also have more “free time” as they don’t need to forage. This can result in cockatoos chewing on timber fittings, outdoor furniture, other household fittings or vegetation on neighbouring properties. The best solution is to find out who is feeding the birds and ask them to stop.”

However there are still residents who refuse to stop feeding cockatoos and are having a deleterious affect on their neighbour’s health, wellbeing and amenity. It is clear that enforcement has a role to play in curbing feeding of cockatoos for those residents who will not stop feeding through an educative process.

It is for this reason that I propose the Shire investigates various mechanisms to provide a legal framework to address the issue of backyard feeding of cockatoos.

I do hope my colleagues support the motion, people in the region are frustrated, angry and upset about the ongoing damage to their property caused by the feeding of cockatoos. It must be recognised that any action council may take will only impact on backyard feeders, there is still the issue of feeding at Grant’s Picnic Ground, but that one I'll be taking up with our local MP and the state government.

community talks cockies

Earlier this week I attended a community meeting in Kallista to talk about the ongoing problem with cockatoos. Around 60 community members were there, along with representatives of Parks Victoria, DSE and James Merlino MP. Council was represented by me and Cr Cliff.

The Panel from left to right: Cr Noel Cliff, James Merlino MP, Scott Lawrence DSE, Cr Samantha Dunn, Matt Hoogland Parks Victoria and Craig Bray Parks Victoria.

We heard many stories of cockatoo damage, residents frustrated by the continuing damage to their property.

ABC News were there to film the story - click on this image for the story.

John Lloyd, ex ranger of Sherbrooke Forest, spoke about the history of Grants Picnic Ground and how the kiosk came to feed birds in the national park. John went on to speak about the cockatoos taking over hollows from other species in the forest, the impact the cockatoos had on a local pair of Wedge Tailed Eagles (now no longer in the forest) and the impact on the natural environment.

James Merlino MP told community members that aside from bushfire, cockatoo damage was the number one local issue.

This damage is atrocious and I have had it confirmed to me that it is directly related to the cockatoos who feed at Grant's Picnic Ground.

James Merlino committed to investigating the lease with the cafe at Grant's Picnic Ground and told the crowd "any contract can be varied....however the operators will be resistant to change and their claim may be extreme....the government has to weigh up the cost to government and is it worth it".

Community members told of their experiences with the DSE in seeking advice about how to deal with cockatoos, their frustration apparent. Residents have been told to "shoo away" the cockatoos, apply for a license to trap or shoot the birds, employ pest controllers at their cost or apply for legal aid.

Here is a family at Grant's Picnic Ground, they've brought their own bird seed in, they are not feeding in the designated area and no one is stopping them. Maybe if tourists knew the damage feeding cockatoos caused they wouldn't feed the birds.

Health issues were discussed, cockatoos carry many diseases (psittacosis was cited) and could constitute a health risk to visitors of Grants.

I am a strong believer that education must play a key role to tackle backyard feeding, but some community members said education is not the answer in every case. I have been working closely with the DSE to develop materials to help educate people about the implications of feeding cockatoos, however I did point out to residents that the issue of feeding at Grant's Picnic Ground will continue to be an issue.

The issue of tourists bringing birdseed into Grants came up, I know myself I have seen tourists with huge bags of seed for the cockatoos. Residents have seen tourists dump the unused seed on the ground creating even bigger problems for Parks Victoria.

Residents were angry that they were bearing the cost and damage of tourists wanting to come and feed cockatoos.

From my perspective there are two issues at play, one the backyard feeders, the other feeding in our national park.

I have committed to bringing forward a motion at the next council meeting to investigate the nuisance provisions of the Health Act to see if this provides a local legislative approach for residents who refuse to stop feeding cockatoos. I have also committed to investigating a local bylaw to ban the feeding of cockatoos in the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

It must be recognised that these measures will only deal with part of the problem. Whilst the state sanctions feeding in Sherbrooke Forest at Grant's Picnic Ground, local Kallista residents will continue to bear the brunt of this activity.

It is time for the state government to look at the regulations under the Wildlife Act and make it illegal to feed cockatoos, no longer can we turn a blind eye, the consequences for residents are extreme and no longer should they be enduring the cost and frustration.

Maybe it is time for Gavin Jennings, Minister for the Environment, to come and visit Kallista so he can see first hand the cockatoo damage to both public and private property, maybe then we will see some teeth in the Wildlife Act.

kallista holds cockie meeting

cockies wreak havoc

report from the roundtable – 9th June

As reported in an earlier blog story the cockatoos have been relentlessly chewing their way through public and private property at an alarming rate. The damage seen at Kallista Village Green over the space of a couple of weeks has been extraordinary.

In an effort to raise awareness and seek much needed assistance from the State Government I moved the following motion:
That Council urgently convene a meeting of local MP’s, Agencies, Shire Officers and interested Councillors to discuss the management of cockatoos so as to reduce ongoing damage to private and public property.

There is no doubt that this is a State Government responsibility as it involves the management of Australian native wildlife. The situation has become untenable with residents facing large repair bills every year due to cockatoo damage.

There is an intrinsic link between feeding cockatoos and cockatoo damage, confirmed by the DSE’s cockatoo expert, Ian Tenby. After last year’s attack from cockatoos the Shire embarked on an education program. This may have worked to a small degree, however whilst large numbers of cockatoos are being fed, particularly at Grant’s Picnic Ground (in a national park no less), we will continue to see damage across the region.

We need the State Government to take responsibility. At the moment it is not illegal to feed the cockatoos (or any native wildlife for that matter), this is something that needs to be urgently addressed, no longer can we accept the continued damage to buildings and our natural assets as cockatoo populations explode out of all proportion.

Native bird feeding has been stopped in other national parks due to problem wildlife, Wilson’s Promontory is a good example of this. This needs to happen here, how much longer can residents endure the annual attacks to property, forking out hefty amounts to replace chewed timber, mortar and all manner of fixtures. How resilient is our forest to the continued chewing of trees and tree ferns.

I know that many residents also get pleasure out of feeding the birds, but given the extreme damage the cockatoos cause this must stop, they have become a problem that is well out of hand.

I am pleased to say that the motion was supported unanimously and I look forward to a positive way forward from our local MPs.

Note: the photos in this entry were taken on Tuesday 9th June, 2009.

what to do with the cockatoos?

Last Thursday’s public meeting to discuss cockatoo damage saw a huge community turn out, at last count it was 137 locals who took the time to attend. The crowd was a mix of residents whose houses/decks had been chewed, environmentalists who were concerned about the destruction to Sherbrooke Forest as well as the proprietors of Grant’s Picnic Ground Café.

Ian Temby, DSE’s cockatoo guru (aka: Senior Policy Officer Wildlife Damage Control Flora & Fauna Program), had much to say about this very intelligent bird.

I have long campaigned to try and change the laws in relation to feeding of wildlife, with cockatoos being top of the list. It was one of the first issues I raised when elected to council. In the past I have spoken and met with Parks Victoria and James Merlino (MP for Monbulk), but all to no avail. I welcome the reinvigorated debate about feeding cockatoos, perhaps this time government will listen and make the legislative changes required to stop this outmoded practice.

Ian’s key message was around the relationship of backyard feeding of cockatoos and how that impacts on local neighbourhoods. In the wild cockatoos need around 2 hours of foraging to get their fill of food, from a backyard feed they can get their fill in 15 minutes, this leaves cockatoos with a lot of spare time to wreak havoc.

I have long been concerned about feeding of all wildlife and Ian’s presentation confirmed my concerns. As a starting point the community needs to be aware of the impact feeding the birds has on their neighbours. I have asked the shire to start an education campaign so people know the impact of feeding, it’s not going to be easy, some people have been feeding birds for many, many years. In some cases it’s a tradition that’s been handed down from generation to generation. The difficulty will be further compounded by the fact that feeding of birds is allowed at Grant’s Picnic Ground, an activity that is supported by the state government, locked in by lease agreement until 2019! But knowing what we know today, it’s time to stop this outdated and obsolete practice.

Public meeting organiser, Kaz Mckay, asked people to write down the dollar value of damage to property caused by gnawing cockatoos, a total of 61 people had $240,000 of costs, that’s around $4,000 per property. The cost of damage to Sherbrooke Forest - how will we ever be able to quantify that?

I will also investigate whether there is any capacity under the nuisance provisions of the Health Act for enforcement action. Ian mentioned this is a possibility and I’m keen to see if this is an avenue the Shire could pursue.

If you want to help the cause write to your local MP, ask them to outlaw feeding of wildlife, tell them how it impacts on you and your environment, they need to hear your voice in order to act, make sure they do.

lovable larrikin or destructive pest?

There is a public meeting coming up next week (see below for details) to discuss the issue of Cockatoos. The cockatoos have been damaging people’s houses by chewing decks, window frames, doors and all manner of fittings, even the local childcare centre suffered when the cockatoos decided to make a meal of the play equipment.

I have no doubt that this behaviour is exacerbated by people feeding cockatoos. The DSE recognise the connection between feeding cockatoos which encourages the birds to stay in the area and cause all manner of destruction to timber fittings and furniture.

Feeding any wildlife results in a change of population which has consequences for other plants and animals in our area. The feeding of wildlife results in a dependence on food sources supplied by people rather than natural sources. A well developed and extensive education program is needed so people realise the consequences of feeding our wildlife.
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Cockatoos in their 'natural habitat' in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

However it is going to be very hard to convince residents to stop feeding cockatoos while the state sanctioned feeding of wildlife continues at Grants Picnic Ground (Sherbrooke Forest). I am told that there is a lease agreement in place to allow the feeding of wildlife, given what we now know, I wonder how long we can continue to tolerate this practice?

This is an issue I have been concerned about for some time (see blog 6 July 2006), but my efforts to address feeding wildlife in our national park has been an uphill battle with no end in sight to date. I welcome the opportunity to have yet another go at addressing this issue and congratulate Kaz McKay on her initiative.


Meeting Details:
Where: Burrinja, 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey
When: 7:00pm Thursday 12th June

Look forward to seeing you there.










When will we see an end to feeding of wildlife in our national park and the natural population balance restored?